The present invention pertains to packaging and palletized packages, generally, and more particularly to a novel removable and recyclable packaging clip used in such packaging and packages. The recycling of packaging clips will provide cost savings to the packaging industry, and more importantly, will provide an environmental benefit.
Packaging clips have been used in the textile industry for packing large rolls of textiles, such as paper or plastic film. Use of packaging clips is a safer and more secure way to load and ship a pallet of rolls of textiles for shipment to customers when used in connection with rectangular or square rigid end boards connected to the ends of each roll with roll plugs. The flat edges of end boards prevent the rolls of textiles from rolling as they sit on a flat surface. By using end boards, rolls of textiles may be elevated from the pallet, spaced apart from other rolls, and more securely stacked on a pallet than can be accomplished by attempting to place rolls directly on a pallet without end boards. Without end boards, rolls are susceptible to becoming engaged with each other and/or becoming damaged or rolling off the pallet, thus requiring greater attention and effort to ensure secure placement on the pallet. Packaging clips are used to secure end boards to a pallet. U.S. Pat. No. 6,592,309 to Baughey discloses and claims an alternating U-channel packaging clip used in such a packaging system. The disclosure of this patent is hereby incorporated by reference, in its entirety, into this specification.
In general, upstanding rectangular or square end boards are secured to the ends of rolls of textiles by roll plugs, and multiple rolls are stacked on a pallet in a spaced relationship. End boards keep the rolls separated and connected to the pallet. In order to stabilize the special relation of end boards on the pallet, U-channel packaging clips are secured to the pallet and end board edges are inserted into the clips, which then act as rails to limit the lateral movement in two directions. The remaining directions of lateral movement are limited by polymeric or metal banding securing the rolls to the pallet.
Packing clips now commonly used for stacking rolls of textiles are removed after use so the end boards may be recycled for re-use. The recycling of the packaging clips now commonly has been limited by their designs, an example of which is shown in Prior Art FIGS. 7a and 7b, which has increased the time-consuming removal process and has tended to cause damage to the end boards. Thus, it is highly desirable to provide a new packaging clip design and method of use that will permit easier recycling of the most commonly used packaging clips and that also will have environmental benefits, energy savings, and produce waste reduction and raw material conservation in recycling of packaging clips.